Journey 2050: Water
Summary
TLDRThe Earth's water, 75% of its surface, is predominantly saltwater; only 2.5% is fresh, with just 0.3% accessible for human use. This limited resource is crucial for drinking, hygiene, agriculture, and manufacturing. As the global population increases, so does the demand for water, with 2.5 billion people already facing water scarcity. By 2050, this could affect over half the world's population. Innovative agricultural practices, such as drip irrigation and pivot irrigation, along with technological advancements in water management, are helping to conserve water and increase crop yields. Conservation tillage and preserving wetlands also play a vital role in maintaining water quality and ensuring a sustainable food supply.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Earth's water composition: 75% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, but only 2.5% is fresh water.
- 💧 Fresh water accessibility: Only 0.3% of the Earth's fresh water is accessible for human use.
- 🚿 Essential for life: Water is crucial for drinking, sanitation, and various aspects of our daily lives.
- 🌱 Agricultural dependency: Approximately three-quarters of the world's fresh water is used for agriculture.
- 🌾 Water-intensive products: It takes a significant amount of water to produce everyday items like bread and jeans.
- 🌦️ Climate change impact: Climate change leads to more unpredictable weather patterns, affecting water availability for agriculture.
- 💡 Technological advancements: Technology helps farmers manage water more efficiently through soil moisture monitoring and irrigation control.
- 🌱 Conservation practices: Farmers use methods like drip irrigation and conservation tillage to conserve water and improve soil health.
- 🌿 Environmental preservation: Preserving wetlands and riparian areas helps maintain water quality and supports biodiversity.
- 🌱 Innovative agriculture: Scientists are developing new crop varieties that are more resilient to climate changes, ensuring food security.
Q & A
What percentage of Earth's surface is covered by water?
-Nearly 75 percent of Earth's surface is covered by water.
How much of Earth's water is considered fresh water?
-Only 2.5 percent of Earth's water is fresh water.
What is the percentage of fresh water that is accessible for human use?
-Only 0.3 percent of fresh water is accessible for human use.
Why is water essential for human life?
-Water is essential not just for drinking and keeping clean but also for manufacturing and agriculture, which are vital for producing goods and growing food.
How many people currently live in regions with an uncertain supply of fresh water?
-Today, about 2.5 billion people live in regions with an uncertain supply of fresh water.
What is the projected percentage of the world's population that may face water stress by 2050?
-By 2050, more than half of the world's predicted population may face water stress due to economic and population growth.
How much water is required to grow enough wheat for a single loaf of bread?
-It takes 435 liters of water to grow enough wheat for just one loaf of bread.
What is the role of technology in helping farmers manage water more efficiently?
-Technology helps farmers manage water by providing information on soil moisture, live weather updates, and enabling remote control of irrigation systems to use water more efficiently.
How does drip irrigation help in water conservation?
-Drip irrigation delivers water close to plant roots drop by drop, minimizing water losses from evaporation and increasing yields by as much as 100 percent compared to plants only receiving rainwater.
What is conservation tillage and how does it help with water management?
-Conservation tillage involves covering at least 30 percent of the soil's surface with crop residues, which helps slow water movement, reduce erosion, and improve soil health, allowing it to hold more moisture and grow better crops.
Why are wetlands and riparian areas important for water quality?
-Wetlands and riparian areas help filter nutrients, control water during floods, and provide habitat for animals, contributing to improved water quality and ecosystem health.
Outlines
💧 The Importance and Scarcity of Fresh Water
The script begins by emphasizing the vastness of water on Earth, covering 75% of its surface, yet only 2.5% of it is fresh water, with a mere 0.3% being accessible for human use. It underscores the critical role of water in daily life, including drinking, hygiene, and agriculture, and warns of the increasing pressure on this limited resource due to population growth. The script highlights the challenge faced by 2.5 billion people living in regions with uncertain water supplies and projects that by 2050, water stress could affect over half of the world's population if no action is taken. The necessity of conserving and protecting water resources is stressed.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Fresh Water
💡Water Stress
💡Agriculture
💡Irrigation
💡Climate Change
💡Water Conservation
💡Best Management Practices
💡Soil Moisture
💡Erosion
💡Wetlands
💡Drip Irrigation
Highlights
Earth's surface is 75% water, but only 2.5% is fresh water accessible for human use.
Only 0.3% of Earth's fresh water is readily accessible for human consumption and use.
Water is essential for drinking, hygiene, and various aspects of life including agriculture and manufacturing.
Approximately 2.5 billion people live in regions with uncertain fresh water supply.
By 2050, more than half of the world's population may face water stress due to economic and population growth.
Agriculture accounts for nearly three-quarters of the world's fresh water use.
It takes 435 liters of water to produce one loaf of bread and 11,000 liters for a pair of blue jeans.
Climate change leads to more extreme and unpredictable weather patterns affecting water availability.
Farmers use technology and best management practices to ensure crops have the right amount of water.
In Kenya, farmers collect and store rainwater for reuse and utilize drip irrigation to minimize water loss.
Pivot irrigation in countries like Canada and the United States helps apply water at specific times efficiently.
Farmers can use their phones for soil moisture content information, live weather updates, and irrigation control.
Conservation tillage helps slow water movement, reduce erosion, and improve soil health.
Preserving wetlands and riparian areas improves water quality and provides habitats for animals.
Scientists are developing new seed varieties that are more resistant to climate change for sustainable agriculture.
Sharing best practices and tools is crucial for efficient water use and conservation.
It's important to conserve and protect our precious water supplies every day of the year.
Transcripts
[Music]
imagine the Earth
all that blue that you see is water and
it makes up nearly 75 percent of the
Earth's surface however we can only use
a tiny fraction of it
only 2.5 percent of Earth's water is
fresh water found in glaciers and polar
ice caps groundwater surface waters such
as lakes ponds and rivers and in the
atmosphere and only 0.3 percent of that
is accessible for us to use
water is essential not just for drinking
and keeping clean but through our lives
for example to make cars that get us to
school and to grow the food that we eat
we can't live without water and as our
population grows there is even more
pressure on our limited supplies
today about 2.5 billion people live in
regions with an uncertain supply of
fresh water
by 2050 with economic and population
growth in those areas more than half the
world's predicted population will face
water stress if nothing is done
water is essential and needs to be
conserved and protected
water is an essential part of
agriculture
in fact nearly three quarters of the
world's fresh water is used in
agriculture to produce the food fiber
and products that we need to live
for example it takes 435 liters of water
to grow enough wheat to make just one
loaf of bread
and about 11 000 liters to make a pair
of blue jeans as our climate changes the
weather is becoming more extreme and
unpredictable in some parts of the world
the climate is becoming drier and in
others it is becoming wetter
but the unpredictable availability of
water is making it harder for Farmers to
grow crops which puts our food supply at
risk
through advances in technology and
improved best management practices
Farmers try and ensure that crops have
the right amount of water while
maintaining water quality it's about
using the right amounts at the times
when crops need water moats too little
and seeds can dry up and too much the
water is wasted as runoff for example in
countries like Kenya where rainfall can
be unpredictable Farmers collect and
store rain water to reuse when it's
needed most
they also utilize drip irrigation where
water is delivered close to plant roots
through a pipe drop by drop minimizing
water losses from evaporation and
increasing yields by as much as 100
percent compared to plants only
receiving rainwater in countries like
Canada and the United States pivot
irrigation is a great way to apply water
at specific times of the day and
Technology plays a key role in water
management farmers can use their phones
to gain information on the soil moisture
content of their crops get live weather
updates and calculate how much water is
needed for the day
remotely turning their irrigation
systems on and off to use water more
efficiently while increasing crop yields
another great best management practice
is conservation tillage which involves
covering at least 30 percent of the
soil's surface with crop residues left
after planting this helps slow water
movement reducing the risk of erosion
it also provides more organic matter
which helps improve soil health
if the soil's health is improved it will
hold more moisture and grow better crops
landowners can also improve water
quality by preserving wetlands and
riparian areas which are spaces between
land and the Waterway ideally filled
with native grass bushes and trees
these areas have many benefits such as
helping filter nutrients that are
collected as the water runs over the
land helping control water during floods
and providing habitat for animals
through Innovations such as new seed
varieties scientists are developing
crops that are more resistant to change
in climates so we can grow crops even
when the growing conditions are not
ideal
sharing best practices and providing
everyone with the tools they need to use
water more efficiently
it is important that every single day of
the year we all take the time and make
the effort to conserve and protect our
precious Water Supplies
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